


Back to the Past and Into the Future

by Anonymous



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 16:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30041781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: "It was very sweet to Ereba how considerate Charr was, how he paid attention to her needs even when she hadn't yet vocalised them and always made sure to never overstep her boundaries.  His attentive and caring nature was just one of many reasons she adored the krogan and was grateful she didn't permanently break things off with him on Illium."Charr and Ereba settle into their new life together both before and after the defeat of the Reapers.
Relationships: Charr/Ereba (Mass Effect)
Kudos: 2
Collections: Spectre Requisitions 2021





	Back to the Past and Into the Future

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BardofHeartDive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardofHeartDive/gifts).



> This was written as part of the Spectre Requisitions rare pair fic exchange for BardofHeartDive. It was fun to write something sweet for this couple. I loved seeing them in ME2 and it's so sad that they didn't get their happy ending in canon, so I decided to write a world-state where fate is kinder and Charr survives. I hope you enjoy :)

“How close are we now?” Ereba asked as she trailed behind Charr, listening to him orate about their surroundings as they walked. They had been travelling for about half an hour and although she was enjoying her 'guided tour' as Charr had called it her feet were starting to get tired.

“Not much further. A bit further north, then a turn west.” Charr answered, his voice filled with joy, “Then we need to climb over the big wall – don't worry, it's not that big, you can climb up on my back – and then we'll be at the compound. We're going to sit on top of the wall and enjoy the view before I show you around up close!”

Ereba smiled at her partner's enthusiasm. Had she been dragged on this tour a few weeks ago she might've complained about having to hoist her already sweaty body over a ton of bricks under the full heat of the sun, but now that she was more adjusted to Tuchanka's climate she was settling into life on the krogan homeworld better than she had expected. While having to climb over a wall still wasn't ideal, she was now more open to the idea; she could at least use it as an opportunity to rest her legs before Charr started showing her around the neighbourhood where he grew up.

“I can't wait to see it.” Ereba grinned as she replied, albeit slightly breathless from exertion. It was a good thing she'd brought a flask of water for the trip. She took a sip from the flask before asking, “I take it we're climbing the wall purely for the view and not because this place lacks an entrance to go through?”

“Hah, this place does have an entrance but what fun would there be in walking through the front door? We can't see my old dwelling in its full glory from the ground!” Charr laughed good-naturedly. He faced Ereba and, as if able to read her mind, added, “There's no hurry once we get there. It's been years since I last came here, I could spend all day just admiring the sights of my childhood. You can rest as long as you need before we carry on.”

It was very sweet to Ereba how considerate Charr was, how he paid attention to her needs even when she hadn't yet vocalised them and always made sure to never overstep her boundaries. His attentive and caring nature was just one of many reasons she adored the krogan and was grateful she didn't permanently break things off with him on Illium.

The walk didn't take as long as she'd been anticipating. Once they reached the wall, Charr helped her mount herself up to the top before joining her there, pulling himself up with the help of some worn down indents in the foundation of the bricks. They sat side by side for a moment, Ereba cooling off from exertion while Charr basked in the nostalgia of his childhood home.

Glancing around from her spot on the wall, Ereba couldn't help but be impressed by the view. Several households surrounded a large communal area in the center. Marble bricks laid across the ground looking remarkably well kept and, in Ereba's opinion, beautiful, with their brown and beige swirls. More interestingly, however, was the greenery nestled into cultivated patches among the stone. Tuchanka wasn't entirely devoid of plant life but it did lack it, and this may be the most she's seen on the planet so far.

Ereba turned to Charr, “Oh wow, this place is gorgeous. I can see why you felt so proud when you told me about living here.” She mused, “I can't make out all of the colours of the plants from this distance, maybe you could show me around up close and tell me about each one? When you're ready, of course.”

“That's the plan, my blue rose.” Charr smiled, “Though no flower here can compare to your beauty.”

Ereba half blushed, half rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Though Charr had eased off on the flower references in his poetry lately, 'blue rose' was a term of affection that managed to stick around. While she'd warmed up to the pet name, she didn't wish to let Charr know just how fondly she now thought of it, lest he decide never to refer to her by her real name again! It was a comical scenario that admittedly probably wouldn't actually happen, but Ereba was amused by the thought.

“I bet you say that to all the asari you bring here.” Ereba teased.

Charr grinned in response, “Not a chance. Even if there were thousands of asari living on Tuchanka, you're the only one I need by my side.”

“Pfft, sweet talker.” _Trust Charr turn the teasing into something genuinely endearing_ , Ereba thought to herself. _Not that I'm surprised, he's just that sweet!_

Charr opened his mouth to respond before shutting it, allowing a comfortable quiet to settle upon the both of them as he scanned the area. In the distance Ereba was certain she could hear a varren barking, but it didn't disturb her sense of peace, too caught up in enjoying the moment.

Once Charr found what he'd been looking for, he declared, “Aha! You see that building over there?”

Ereba's eyes followed the direction the krogan was now pointing. “Uhm, you mean the one with the paint along the side?”

“That's the one! Take a guess who that building once belonged to.”

“... You?” Ereba asked tentatively. _Who else could it be?_

“Close, my father used to own it. I lived there with him.” Charr answered.

Ereba glanced over the other buildings curiously, “I don't see any other houses covered in paint.”

“That's because I did it when I was just a young grunt.” Charr explained, nostalgia evident in his tone, “My father wasn't too happy about it when he came out to find me dragging my claws over the wall but he never bothered to cover it over, either.”

 _So, Charr has been artistic ever since he was a child. I guess he really was born with a creative streak... that certainly explains how he became the guy he is today,_ Ereba mused. “Maybe he liked what you painted, it definitely brightens up the place.”

“Hah, who knows. He didn't understand why I enjoyed art as much as I did but he didn't discourage me either. I think he was just happy that I'd fight the neighbours when they gave me crap for it.” Charr shrugged.

A brief flash of sadness passed through Ereba at the thought of Charr being mistreated for his creative passion as a child. She turned to him and said, earnestly, “Well, I'm glad you never gave up your creative spark. I bet there's other krogan children out there who wish they could be as artistic as you.”

Ereba noticed that the faint hint of what appeared to be a blush appeared on Charr's face, but then again it was hard to tell with krogan, so perhaps it was just her imagination.

“I'm a better artist now, and a poet too.” Charr said proudly. He paused for a moment before adding with a chuckle, “You know, looking back, the painting isn't all that good. There's more splotches and dripped paint than anything worthwhile but, oh, I was so pleased with it at the time! It made me mad when people didn't like what I'd made but eventually I stopped caring about what others thought, I liked what I'd created and that was the only thing that mattered.”

Ereba thought back to when they had first arrived on Tuchanka, how Charr's words were a reflection of what he'd told her after she'd expressed concern over not being wanted on the planet by other krogan. His unconcerned demeanour towards what his clan thought was starting to make much more sense; he'd stopped putting weight on the views of others over his years of not being fully understood, of being more imaginatively driven and less 'traditionally' krogan than those around him.

Charr continued, “That's why I moved to Illium, eventually. Being surrounded by a bunch of pyjaks who didn't understand the meaning of romanticism got boring. I wanted to see the rise and fall of a wondrous sun far away from here, in a place rich with the kind of inspiration and beauty not found on my homeworld.”

“You needed to be somewhere with more freedom to explore the finer things the galaxy has to offer.” Ereba concluded.

“Exactly right, honey. And it's a good thing I moved when I did, for it allowed our paths to entwine together as though it were destiny.”

It was true, if Charr hadn't moved to Illium they never would've met. Ereba had been having difficulty finding out where a shipment of products for her store had disappeared to, the items having gotten lost in transit. Charr was the transport technician sent to resolve the problem and from there the pair grew ever closer since. Ereba wasn't sure about the existence of fate but she did consider herself very lucky to have lost that shipment all those years ago.

Ereba leaned against Charr's shoulder plating as she reminisced about their first meeting. A thought then came to her, “You were pretty adamant about moving back to Tuchanka with me, though. I don't get the impression that you hate it here.”

Charr pondered for a moment, considering how best to phrase his response. “I could never leave this planet for good. My hearts took me to Illium, but I always knew that the searing rays of Tuchanka's sun would guide me home once again.” He began, “For all of Illium's beauty, it cannot compare to the feel of warm, dusty soil beneath our feet. A station of steel is no place for our love to continue growing. Just as Tuchanka tests our ability to withstand the physical challenges that dare get in the way, our love, too, is put to the test and forced to grow stronger with every hardship we overcome together.”

 _That much was clear from the poetry he was performing for me before that human came along,_ Ereba recalled with a smile. At the time she'd been conflicted about her feelings, unsure whether to believe the romantic sentiments Charr recited to her, but now she had no doubt that he'd meant every word of what he'd said.

“Despite my hesitation when we arrived, I'm glad we decided to move here.” Ereba replied, a thoughtful expression on her face. “You already know that there was a big part of me that was getting bored of the day-to-day on Illium. Sure, my sales were good, but we've more than enough credits to embark on a new adventure in our lives.”

Chuckling, Ereba then continued, “While Tuchanka may not've been the first on my list of possible planets to move to before we met, I can't deny that being with you here has been an... interesting experience, so far. In a good way! I enjoy the feel of the soil under my feet just as you said I would, and I'm really becoming comfortable here now that the other krogan have warmed up to me.” She paused before adding, “I don't regret the decision we made.”

Those were, apparently, exactly the words Charr needed to hear; he broke into a big grin as he wrapped his arm around Ereba's body, pulling her ever so slightly closer to him. “That's the spirit! This planet is nurturing for the body and the soul. Any idiot who dares to challenge your place here will be drowning their sorrows in a bottle of ryncol after I've knocked sense into their head.”

It took a moment for Ereba to understand the implication of Charr's words. “Ah, no! You don't need to fight anybody on my behalf or anything. Almost everyone here has been good to me now that they're used to seeing my face among them. I appreciate the gesture but please, don't beat anyone up for me.”

“Hah, very well. Glad to know they aren't total pyjaks.” Charr quipped, but there was no real bite to his words.

The pair fell into a peaceful silence as they continued to admire the view before them. It was tranquil – if also a little stifling, but not terribly so – basking in the smouldering heat as the fierce rays of the sun coated the compound with a golden, hazy glow.

Several moments later, Ereba remarked, “We could always take a trip to Thessia one day. I could show you my childhood home, although it's nowhere near as scenic and spacious as here.”

They had taken a holiday to Thessia once before, but they'd stayed at a fancy hotel far away from the small neighbourhood where Ereba had grown up and only visited local tourist attractions. Museums, restaurants, parks with ancient statues; though these places were fascinating for Charr, he knew that he'd take a visit to the place that formed his love into the asari she is today over any of those high-class establishments any day.

“Aw, honey, nothing sounds better!” Charr declared with much enthusiasm, “When were you thinking?”

“Ah well, I don't know? It was just a suggestion really.” Ereba pondered for a moment, “But I suppose... we've got no plans for the next few days, right? Why don't we go tomorrow?”

Charr gave a hearty chuckle. It was clear he approved. “What's life without spontaneity! Even if I had plans I'd cancel them in a heartbeat for this. Why don't we get a first class shuttle to pick us up in the morning?”

“We could do that. I looked up the travel route from here to Thessia before moving just in case we ever went back for another holiday. On a standard shuttle it would take us a few days but first class should get us there in about a day and a half.” Ereba explained. If she'd had her omni-tool with her she could've made the booking there and then, but for now all she could do was make a mental note to take care of it once they returned home.

“It's decided, then!” Charr says decisively, “We'll make it a whole affair, for what's a greater testament to our love than revisiting our separate pasts by each other's sides as we embark upon our shared future together?”

With that spontaneous decision settled, Ereba leaned away from Charr and stretched her muscles. “Okay, my legs are refreshed and I'm good to go. Are you ready to show me around your old home?”

Instead of verbally replying, Charr responded by jumping down from the wall into the compound; dust blew out from under his feet at the impact as he turned back towards the asari. Ereba lowered herself from the height as gracefully as she could, but was grateful for Charr's outstretched arms to lessen the impact of her fall.

As they headed towards the marble stones in the center of the neighbourhood, Ereba couldn't help but notice how happy Charr appeared to be. It was clear that giving her this tour was important to him; it was more than just about nostalgia for him, it was also a gesture of his love for her and his trust in their relationship to be sharing something this personal.

Ereba thought back to that day on Illium and realised just how overjoyed she was to have not given up on this wonderful krogan.

*

Charr relived the memory of that day in his head as he followed Commander Shepard out of the Rachni cave on Utukku. The Commander had managed to complete his mission and rescue Charr along the way, and now they were heading back to the shuttle to get the hell off this dreadful planet.

Shepard's ship was on its way to the Citadel. The Commander had recognised him, told him that Ereba was still alive and running a store on the Presidium. The injured krogan could barely believe his good luck! It was just as they had planned before Charr left to join the fight in the war, having come to the joint decision that the space station was the safest place to live while the Reapers were spreading across the rest of the galaxy. Charr was overjoyed, having gone from accepting that he'd never see his love again to being rescued from the brink of death by the man who had helped repair their relationship on Illium all those months ago. _My blue rose, I'm coming to see you again after all!_

The krogan still had his farewell note to Ereba tucked away in his armour, though of course he no longer needed it.

*

Cheers from the large crowd drifted through the window of Charr and Ereba's Presidium apartment as celebrations outside continued to take place; it had been a month since the defeat of the Reapers and rebuilding efforts on the Citadel were now well underway. The pair returned to their apartment feeling exhausted but in high spirits, having both played a role in the victory celebration.

As it turned out, the poetry that Charr had been posting on a local extranet forum since his return from Utukku had touched the hearts of many people and as such, he was asked to perform his poetry at the ceremony. Some of his performance touched on the losses the galaxy faced due to the Reapers, though most of it was more optimistic, focused on the future and what the galaxy can achieve through rebuilding and slowly recovering. His performance was well received, met with cheers and even some tears as he moved the people in the crowd.

Meanwhile, Ereba had set up a stall selling post-war commemorative items as well as various nick-nacks in order to raise money for the recovery efforts. All credits went towards a different charity dedicated to helping people get back on their feet. She'd watched as Charr orated his poetry from the stage and could barely believe that she was lucky enough to be having a child with the wonderful krogan. There had been a moment when Charr had glanced over to her from the stage, too, and she'd wondered whether he was thinking the same thing as he spoke of the bright future ahead.

Now, the couple were lounging in their apartment, mulling over the day's events and preparing for a celebration of their own.

"We did a good job out there today." Charr remarked, pulling out a glass of wine for himself and a bottle of juice for Ereba.

Ereba took the bottle as she sat settled herself on the sofa, her legs propped up on the cushions. “It was mostly you, honey. Watching you up on that stage was incredible, I've never seen that many people in one place be so moved by poetry before.”

“Aw, it was nothing. They were my inspiration, I just put the courage I saw in them into fancy words.” Charr replied.

 _I see he's become a bit more humble since observing the aftermath of the war,_ Ereba noted. She couldn't deny that she felt a similar way. Her role to play in the recovery effort was important, yes, but it was just one of many from people all across the galaxy. It was humbling but also a comfort that so many people were determined to help the galaxy heal.

A thought came to Ereba. It was an observation that occurred to her as she glanced out over the crowd earlier that day, but she wasn't sure if Charr had noticed. “Did you see how many krogan were in the audience for your performance? There weren't half as many for the other acts as there were for you.” She chuckled at the memory of several krogan showing up for his act and then immediately beating feet once the performance was done, "I think you have more krogan fans than you realise.”

Charr tilted his head curiously. “I wasn't paying any attention. Between reciting my lines and searching for your beautiful face in the crowd I didn't see who was in the audience.”

“They seemed pretty impressed by you,” Ereba mused, “there were even some young krogan children I overheard talking about you excitedly as they passed my stall after it was over.”

If Ereba was unsure about whether krogan could blush before, the way Charr's face flushed slightly darker at her words made her realise that they could indeed. She smiled, continuing, “I wouldn't be surprised if you've encouraged them to try their own hand at writing poetry now.”

The blush on Charr's face deepened, clearly finding joy at the thought that he could have that influence on anybody, let alone other krogan. Instead of responding straight away, he took a sip from his glass and mulled over Ereba's words in his mind.

“Hah, no matter the number of pyjaks out there getting their bones in a twist at the thought of an romantic old krogan soul like me, if I'm able to be an inspiration for even one krogan child, going up on that stage today will have been worth it.”

“I think you inspired more than just one.” Ereba chuckled, “And adults, too. Seems like there's more krogan out there who like the finer things in life than you thought.”

“I suppose you're right.” Charr replied contemplatively. He smiled warmly, “If they know what's good for them they'll get some new hobbies. Got a lot of free time these days, now that the war over and the genophage has been cured.”

Ereba hummed in agreement, debating whether to mention an idea that had come to her during the ceremony. Once she'd made her choice she said, “You know, with all that free time you'll need something to do now too. A career. I get the feeling you're done with being a transport technician.”

“Pah, I never enjoyed that lousy old job. The best thing that came from it was that it allowed me to meet you.” Charr paused for a moment. “What are you thinking?”

“Well, you'll need some form of job, even if it's not a huge money earner. We don't need the credits for ourselves right now. Why not invest your time in something you're passionate about? You could be an art and literature teacher or hold poetry workshops for people interested in picking up a new hobby.”

At the suggestions, Charr appeared to go deep into thought until a huge grin crept across his face. “You're exactly right. I didn't have much luxury of choice on Illium, I had to take any job I could find to afford the overpriced apartment I lived in before we got serious. But now, we have an abundance of credits and for the first time since before the war, I can have a goal for myself beyond surviving another day in the hellish pits of Reaper space.”

“I will consider my options.” Charr continued, “There's a community hall on the Presidium that's being rebuilt. Once they open it they'll need to hold some events to get the momentum moving again... or at least, that's what the extranet article I read said. If they agree to let me hold a workshop it could benefit all of us.”

“You're actually going to do it, then?” Ereba asked, her expression matching Charr's.

“Absolutely! It's decided, I can't bring myself to turn away from this now.” Charr declared with an air of finality. Once he set his mind on something it was hard to sway him from it.

Ereba watched as Charr rose from his seat and switched on the TV. A news channel was broadcasting footage of the celebrations as they continued steadily on into the night. There was a definite note of relief and hope; the war was over, now the biggest challenge that remained was healing.

Where once the only imaginable route for the galaxy was its destruction at the whim of the Reapers, now laid an endless amount of possibility for the future. A dark and heavy cloud had been lifted: for the galaxy, for the krogan, for Ereba and Charr.

To Charr, there was little else more poetic than that.


End file.
